PROPER ATTITUDE

By Dan Gallapoo

(The following is reprinted from my book, "Hardgainer Secrets:
Build Up To 25 Pounds Of Muscle In 8 Weeks")

Zig Ziglar, one of the top experts in the country on attitude and
motivation said, "Your attitude determines your altitude." Your
attitude will determine your level of success, not only in this
program, but in every area of your life. Although an exhaustive study
of this topic is beyond the scope of this book, later in this chapter
I will recommend a few books that have been instrumental in helping
thousands of people understand the role of attitude in the quest for
success.

The most important thing you need to do right now is believe that
this program will bring the gains you desire, and commit to faithfully
following the program for eight weeks. Nowadays it seems to be
necessary to explain the word "commitment". In the age of a 60%
divorce rate, kids quitting school at a record rate, and a nation that
says "when the going gets tough...quit", it becomes quite obvious
that most Americans do not understand or practice commitment in
any aspect of their lives. That is pathetic...and that attitude will
destroy ANY possible chance of success in anything ever occurring
in your life.

One of my favorite teachers always used parables to get his
message across, so I would like to use a little illustration to help
you understand what "commitment" means. Eggs and bacon, right?
Now think about what was involved in that breakfast. The chicken
was involved in your breakfast...but the pig was COMMITTED!!!
Commitment means that you don't quit because things start getting
tough. You don't rack the weight half way through your set of squats
because it hurts a little and it's hard. You don't blow off a workout
because you want to watch T.V. (T.V. stands for "The Vacuum"
because it sucks out your brain. All the truly successful people I
know watch very little or no T.V.) You don't eating because you're
tired of it or you don't want to carry your food to work or school. You
don't quit this program after two weeks because you're not
Mr. Universe yet. Stick with it for the whole eight weeks. Only an
eight week commitment to achieve your strength and size goals!
What have you got to lose? Chances are you've been in a rut and
not growing for years. Change now and follow this program or you
will probably be stuck in this no-growth rut forever!

Don't quit something when it gets tough and painful. If you keep
pushing and staying consistent, your successful break-through is
usually just around the corner. If you quit too soon you will rob
yourself of the success that is within inches of your grasp. Those
who have the guts to keep going through the disappointments, trials,
pain, and set backs always achieve the big successes in life. It is
a guaranteed law of the universe.

Those who quit when the going gets tough never accomplish anything.
If you are a quitter, then welcome to "Weenie Land". You'll have a lot
of company there, and everybody will have plenty of excuses to
justify their miserable lives. You can expect to wallow in mediocrity,
at best, for the rest of your life.

If you have been a quitter in the past, choose to change that right now.
You have the capacity to change. You were engineered for success,
designed for accomplishment, and endowed with the seeds of
greatness. Study the books that I recommend and start to understand
the power that you have available. Start to understand how your mind
works and start putting in positive information every day to counteract
all the negative seeds that have been planted in your mind over the
years. You can really achieve any goal that you set your mind to.
Napoleon Hill in the classic success book Think And Grow Rich said,
"Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve."

Write your goals down with a date that you want to achieve them. A goal
without a date attached is just a wish. Believe that you can accomplish
whatever you commit to, every day begin to visualize the outcome you
desire, and develop a day by day, or week by week plan to attain those
goals.

Keep recornds of your training and eating. This will not only log your
progress but will keep you from slacking off. If you look back over three
weeks of training logs and find out that you have been doing the same
weight and reps in your exercises, then you know it is time to start
pushing yourself. I really started making consistent progress when I
started keeping a training log.

I know that this program will provide the results that you have been
hoping for, if you really follow it faithfully. I wish you all the best and
all the muscle and success that you are willing to work for!